Parish Contact Program

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Parish Contact Program

• USA Council of Serra International
• October 2004

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Parish Contact Program

• The Program
• The Serra Club selects a Serra volunteer to be
  the official Parish Contact to each parish in the
  Clubs area.
• Purpose
• The Serra Contact Person is to establish and
  maintain a vocations awareness relationship
  between Serra and the Pastor so that every parish
  will have vocations activities.

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Why Are We Encouraging the Program?

• Because its wanted and needed!
• Vocations is everybodys business
• John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis
• American Bishops
• Stated that any solution to the vocations
  shortage is their responsibility
• One of the things that they will do is build a
  Culture of Vocations in American families
• Are asking all lay organizations and particularly
  asking Serra for help
• USAC Leadership is
• Responding by encouraging each Serra Club to send
  a Serran into every parish to help build a
  Culture of Vocations

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Serra USAC Leadership

• Initiate vocations programs into more parishes.
  Mike Doohan, 1999-00 USAC VP-Vocations, April
  2000 Serran
• Help Build a Culture of Vocations by
  establishing vocations activities in every
  parish. Claire Howard, 2001-02 USAC President,
  August 2001 Serran

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Serra USAC Leadership

• The parish vocation committee is the key to a
  resurgence in priestly and religious vocations in
  the 21st century. Bill Ramsey, 2002-03 USAC
  President, June 2003
• Our club/district has been using the Parish
  Contact Program for over 15 years. Its the
  perfect vehicle to accomplish our Vocations
  Awareness goals. Jim DeNike, 2003-04 USAC
  President, December 2003

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Serra USAC Leadership

• If youre looking for something for your Club to
  do, try the Parish Contact Program. It works.
  Tony Plaia, USAC President 2004-05, December 2003.

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American Bishops Vocations Goals

• Increase the awareness of the vocations issue
• Build a Culture for Vocations
• Improve the Vocations Environment in families

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VOCATION ACTIVITIES

• It is the goal of Serra in the U.S.A. that there
  be VOCATION ACTIVITIES in every parish
• It is the long range goal of Serra in the U.S.A.
  that there be VOCATION ACTIVITIES in every parish
  in the country
• It is the short range goal of Serra in the U.S.A.
  that there be VOCATION ACTIVITIES in every parish
  in our clubs geography
• This goal was adopted by the USA Council of
  Serra International at a regular Council meeting
  in January, 2003

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Consider Expanding!

• Overall, were doing a great job in parish
  Vocation Awareness activities!
• FACT Nearly every club in the USA has a pet
  Vocations Awareness activity (or two) that they
  regularly conduct in a few selected parishes
• Consider Expanding!
• Do the same but in more parishes.

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Key Players
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Expectations

• Establish a relationship
• With each pastor and key players
• Listen
• to the clues from the parish about such items as

• What the would the pastor like us to do?
• Learn about the vocation activities (current and
  prior) in the parish
• What vocations have come from the parish?

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Expectations

• Communicate
• Parish desires to your Serra Club
• Vocations releases from the diocese to the parish
• Serras vocations expertise to the parish
• Become a catalyst
• For vocations activities in the parish

• Maintain the relationship
• Use every opportunity to stay in touch
• Attend Mass periodically in the parish
• Attend special events in the parish
  (picnic/dinner/etc.)
• Personally maintain the vocations literature rack
• Schedule periodic meetings with parish personnel

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Parish Contact Coordinator(your club VP for
Vocations or designee)

• Duties
• Obtain the Bishops approval (usually through the
  District Governor)
• Identify the parishes (usually through the
  District Governor)
• Assigns Parish Contact Persons to specific
  parishes (in conjunction with the Club President)
• Trains the Parish Contact Persons (Training
  Parish Contacts kit available from USAC)
• Coordinates literature orders
• Monitors the program

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Action Steps

• Club President
• Get permission from your local bishop(s) to
  conduct the program (work with your District
  Governor)
• Determine who will be the Parish Contact
  Coordinator (usually the VP for Vocations or a
  person reporting to the VP for vocations)
• Get the support of your Board or Directors and
  sell the general club membership on the viability
  of the program

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Action Steps

• Club President
• Identify target parishes by working with the PC
  Coordinator and your District Governor to
  identify those parishes (15-20) that are in your
  geography
• Pick out Serra Parish Contacts by helping the PC
  Coordinator select an appropriate volunteer to
  become the Parish Contact for each parish
  identified
• Train the contacts in a 40 minute meeting of all
  the PC persons, separate from your regular
  meeting. (Training Parish Contacts kits available
  from USAC)
• Advise your diocese via the Diocesan Vocation
  Office and District Governor that your club has
  the program in effect and you are now ready to
  assist the diocese in direct parish contact

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Who Benefits

• Pastor
• He will get help on his vocations awareness
  goals. Many priests have a desire to contribute
  more toward a solution to the vocations problem
• Our action could easily dispel any fear that
  Serra means more work for him
• Your Serra Club
• Generate good feelings among members doing
  something extra for vocations
• Helps fulfill the vocations mission of your club
• Will establish a fertile field for Vocation
  Awareness activities
• Will help membership in our clubs
• Will often improve the positive image to key
  people in the diocese of the work that Serra does

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Who Benefits

• Your diocese
• This will build an excellent network which the
  diocese may elect to use to disseminate Vocations
  Awareness Programs
• Sometimes pastors are so busy that they overlook
  normal diocesan distributions
• Serra USAC
• We are keeping our commitment to the bishops
• We will have an established communication network
  into all parishes and subsequently to all
  Catholic families
• We will establish a feeling of camaraderie
  between all Serra Clubs

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Parish Contact Program Tools

• LONG STANDING PUBLICATIONS
• Handbook for Parish Vocations Activities (red
  book) 20 pages of programs suggestions of
  activities to implement (3.00 each)
• Parish Contact Kit (envelope) How to start a
  Parish Contact Program. One kit contains (4.00
  each)
• Ten (10) copies of the Very Busy Pastor
  brochure (Hints on how to approach a pastor for
  the first time)
• One (1) copy of Suggestions for Club Parish
  Contact Coordinator
• 15 Ways to Promote Parish Vocations in Your
  Parish - Brochure on glossy paper (0.20 each)

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Parish Contact Program Tools

• NEW PUBLICATIONS
• Parish Contact Program (booklet) 12 page
  training kit to assist local Serra Leadership on
  the benefits of adopting a Parish Contact Program
  (or you can duplicate this booklet locally)
  (15.00 each)
• Training Parish Contacts - 14 page presentation
  with added appropriate literature from USAC and
  NCCV. Suggest one kit per attendee (15.00 each)
• Notebook for Club Coordinator of Parish Contacts
  A simplified method to assist the Parish
  Contact Coordinator in keeping track of Vocations
  Activities in each parish. Suggest one copy per
  club (8.00 each)
• Parish Vocations Awareness Form Survey form to
  help determine initial Vocations Awareness health
  of a parish. Suggest on per Parish Contact (can
  be duplicated locally) (0.15 each)

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The Next Step

• New Cultures Need New Programs
• Try something new
• Do something more
• Expand your Clubs activities

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The Next Step

• Parish Contact Program
• First, assign a parish contact to the parishes in
  your core area
• Second, make a presentation to your assigned
  parish.
• Third, your presentation should include one of
  the following resources booklets

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Resources Suggestions

• The Redbook (Handbook for Parish Vocations
  Activities - 3.00 each
• Vocations Our Future Hope - 10.00
• NCCV Parish Vocation Kit - 85.00 (Available from
  the NCCV call 1-800-671-NCCV)
• Suggest to pastor and obtain his approval for
• 31 Club (prayer program)
• Literature rack
• Weekly Bulletin Clips
• Altar Server appreciation
• Pastors suggestions

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• Prepare Diocesan Survey
• Vocation Staff Members
• -Names of Seminarians
• Diocesan Vocation Programs
• -Internet links
• Parishes Contacts

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• SURVEY OF PRIESTS
• How many?
• Religious Order Priests
• Priests on Military Duty
• Retired Priests
• Priests Not Assigned Parish Duties
• Net Priest for Parishes
• -

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• EXAMPLES of DIOCESEAN VOCATION PROGRAMS
• Club 31
• - Altar Server Certificates
• 8th Grade Essay Contest
• Eucharistic Adoration
• Bulletin Inserts
• Prayer Programs
• -Single Adult Discernment
• -SERRA MANUAL HANDBOOK OF PARISH VOCATION
  ACTIVITIES

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• CONTACTS IN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
• -Names of religious communities to refer
  potential vocations
• In your diocese
• - Outside your diocese

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VISION MAGGAZINE -Published by National Religious
Vocation Congress Great Resource for info on
religious life http//www.visionguide.org/
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QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES -Should be on
diocesan website - Bring it up to date
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• DISCERNMENT
• SERRANS should organize discernment activities.
• SERRA Single adult discernment weekend

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Organizations

• SCDVD State Conference of Diocesan Vocation
  Directors
• NRVC National Religious Vocation Conference
• NCDVD National Conference of Diocesan Vocation
  Directors
• TDVD SOURCES
• Web Page
• Discernment Booklet
• Life Awareness
• Be My Guest Dinner
• Sixth Grade Vocation Day
• Vocation Vacation
• Bishops Retreat
• Sisters Series

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Collaboration With

• Serrans
• Knights of Columbus
• CYSS Catholic Youth and School Services
• NCCW National Council of Catholic Women
• Diocesan Young Adult Office
• Diocesan Youth Office

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On Going Programs

• Vocation Awareness Week
• World Day of Prayer for Vocations
• Consecrated Life Day
• Mass for Shut-ins
• Prayer Card

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Parish Vocation Activities that Work

• Eucharistic Adoration
• Many good priests have come from parishes that
  had a Eucharistic Adoration program. Young people
  will give generous response to Gods call. The
  Holy Father has said the Vocations are indeed a
  gift from God for which we must pray
  unceasingly.
• Altar Server Program
• The Holy Father has stated that altar servers are
  the garden of vocations waiting to be cultivated
  to the Glory of God. He asked all priests to
  show special care for altar servers, who
  represent a kind of garden of priestly
  vocations. The group of altar servers, under your
  guidance as part of the parish community, can be
  given a valuable experience of Christian
  education and become a kind pre-seminary.

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Parish Vocation Activities that Work

• Traveling Chalice/Cross
• Taken from into parish homes for a week or more
  and displayed prominently on the family dinner
  table to stimulate Prayer for increased vocations
• Scouting
• Scouting has programs that offer a scout the
  opportunity to develop better relationships with
  the world and with God. The Diocesan Committee on
  Scouting can suggest ways that you can help.

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Parish Vocation Activities that Work

• Mary, Queen of Vocations Pray For Us
• 31 Club
• Vocations essay/poster contests
• Weekly prayers of petition
• Life Awareness Weekend Retreats
• Parish Bulletin Ads

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MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• TRY SOMETHING NEW
• DO SOMETHING MORE
• EXPAND OUR CLUBS ACTIVITIES

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BLESSED JUNIPERRO SERRA AN EXAMPLE!!